
Okay, the first thing I have to say is, hang in there with me for a few minutes. I know you are thinking, make your own cheese? REALLY? Here on this blog where I have said about a million times, it’s all about getting in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes or less? Has she finally eaten one too many piece of bacon and gone off her rocker?
Hang in there with me while I promise you these three things:
1. If you can boil water, you can make your own ricotta cheese.
2. It will take you less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
3. It will taste so good, you will wonder why on earth it took you so long to figure out that you should have been making your own ricotta cheese for the past hundred years.
4. It will take all your willpower not to stand there next to your bowl of delicious fresh ricotta and not eat it all in one fell swoop.
Okay, that’s four things, and I have no idea what a fell swoop is. But you get my drift. Try it with me just once, and I promise you will be hooked for life. Here’s what you do.
Get out your handy strainer and put it in your sink. Line it with a little cheesecloth, which you can find in your supermarket, sometimes with the baking stuff and sometimes with the laundry stuff, for mysterious reasons. I usually fold it into a square that has about 3-4 layers until it looks like this. This will take you two minutes.

Now take a nice heavy saucepan and pour in 4 cups of whole milk, one cup of buttermilk, and 1/3 cup of heavy cream. Set it on the stove and put the heat on to medium high and bring it to a boil. In the early going, you may want to clip a candy thermometer on to the pot so you can watch the temperature, because when the temperature gets to about 185 degrees, the curds (the solid part) will have separated from the whey (the liquid part), and it’s time to strain it. If you don’t have thermometer don’t fret, because you can pretty much see it happening. The milk mixture will boil, and it will gradually curdle and separate into the solids (the curds) and the watery looking liquid (the whey). This will take about 10 minutes…sometimes less. When it does, take the pot off the burner and reach for your handy slotted spoon, and start scooping out the solids, letting the liquid drain off. Drop the spoonfuls of solids into your strainer.
I like to sprinkle a little coarse salt onto the cheese every couple of spoonfuls or so. Once you are done, let it drain for about 2 minutes (if you like your ricotta moist) or 5 minutes (if you like it drier). You can leave it right in the strainer, or you can be like I was when I first made it and hang it dramatically from your kitchen faucet (see picture above). Taste it after a few minutes…if it’s gotten too dry just stir in a tablespoon or two of milk, and if it’s too moist for you, let it keep draining.
Fifteen minutes have now passed, and you have made your own ricotta cheese.
And if you are like me, you will never even LOOK at those ricotta containers in the supermarket again.
Things you can make with your glorious ricotta include…
Summer Lasagna. A cool lasagna that includes fresh zucchini, sweet little cherry tomatoes, basil from your back yard…and ricotta.
Zucchini Carpaccio. Almost as fun to pronounce as it is to eat. Almost.
Or you can cook up some soft scrambled eggs with fresh chives and during the last minute of cooking, swirl in some ricotta. Heaven.
Or you can just stand there at your kitchen counter and eat it with the closest available spoon. I may or may not have done this at times.
Happy fresh ricotta. No fear!
Ingredients
Directions
Recipe adapted from the 101 Cookbooks recipe










framedcooks
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ooh I cant wait to do this!
I need to try this so I can make those eggs!
Are you on vacation? Is this the greatest hits album? This seems very familiar….framed cooks groundhog day edition?
(yes, this IS why I never get invited over for dinner)
About how much ricotta does this recipe make?
I'm so intrigued! I want to try it! What an awesome post!
mnw: about 2 cups, give or take
My brother: NO, I am not on vacation! And the ricotta recipe is new to the blog, thank you very much. Jeesh.
Everyone else: xoxo, as usual.
i just made ricotta for the first time! it is simply amazing, i will definitely have to try it with the buttermilk.
What did you replace the butter milk with?
You can make ricotta with lemon juice instead of buttermilk..I’ve never tried it that way, but if anyone has, please let us know!
http://video.about.com/frugalliving/How-to-Make-Homemade-Buttermilk-Substitute.htm
I found this through google. It leads onto other how-to make.
So here goes me. So simple. So happy:)
Hurray – let us know how it turns out!
I will do Kate.
The lemon version works, but it does have quite a bit of lemon flavor to it so it may not be the best for things like pasta dishes. It would likely be excellent for a dessert where the lemon tang would mesh well.
I think the dessert suggestion is a great one – I’m going to try it!
I regularly ‘create’ buttemilk since it’s much easier than stocking it in the fridge – 1tbsp lemon juice to 1 cup whole milk, stand 5 min.
)
Just finished my first batch of ricotta – THANK YOU for sharing this recipe, can’t believe how easy and delicious it it
You are so welcome – glad you liked it!!
this was such a great post and i will definitely be trying this! i live in italy and the ricotta there is so creamy and heavenly…i could bathe in it.
so i can't wait to finally be able to have some good ricotta when i'm here in the states! thank you!
Absolutely divine!!!
I really can't believe ricotta is this easy. Then why is it so expensive!
How amazing is this? I was just at Blue Hill at Stone Barns for a cooking class and this was the first thing they showed us. We were all amazed by how simple, but delicious it is!
I found your blog yesterday via Pinterest. My husband is an executive chef at an Italian restaurant and loves making as much as he can from scratch but didn't know you could make fresh ricotta cheese. Needless to say, he's trying this tomorrow at the restaurant!
OK, seriously, you are amazing. I have heard of those crafty people who make their own cheese, but never thought that it would be this easy! Thank you!
Loved all the pictures and all the ideas to use fresh ricotta. I do make fresh paneer and ricotta whenever required just because there in nothing better than that
This is the second post I've read this week on how to make ricotta. OK, OK, I get it! I am convinced! Bookmarking this to try soon.
you read my mind. I've been thinking about trying this all summer & haven't spent the time to look up a recipe. Thanks!
will be teaching my students how to make this next week for a cooking lesson/baked ziti! thanks!
Just stopping by to let you know that I featured this in my "What I Bookmarked This Week" post today. Stop by and see!
Oh wow, I'd love to try this… The zucchini carpaccio looks to die for! Thanks for sharing. Beautiful photography!
Question – would the powered buttermilk work? I always have some of that on hand for banana bread, but i rarely buy fresh, as it is a pain to get a hold of on short notice, it's not always in my regular grocery store, etc… thoughts?
Thanks all, and I'm glad everyone is making ricotta! Lopez, unfortunately I don't think the powdered version would work. I've heard that you can simulate buttermilk by mixing whole milk with a little vinegar and letting it stand, but I've never tried that so I can't vouch for it…but if you try it let me know!
I love Pinterest! It introduced me to your blog! I adore ricotta but it is so expensive and having six kids I needs lots to make two lasagna pans. Thank you! I cannot wait to make this. (Pinning!)
I hear the angels singing! Can't wait to try this.
Does this make a full-fat ricotta? If so, any tips on skim ricotta? (this is me assuming skim ricotta refers to the fat content – in actuality, I have no clue what I'm talking about, I just want a ricotta I can use on Weight Watchers)
Tiana – yes, this is a full-fat ricotta. I have never tried making a lower-fat version, so I'm not sure how using low-fat milk and/or buttermilk would work. Sorry I can't be more help on this (especially since I am a long-time WW alumni!)…
My mother in law hangs yogurt over the faucet to make greek yogurt. This really does look amazing. What a great idea I am now following you. I would love it if you visited my blog and folled me back.
I've got to try yogurt one of the these days. I'll definitely come visit your blog!
Fabulous – i am italian and grew up in a delicatessen. Miss fresh ricotta so much. Gonna do this! For other, try just mixing it with a bit of sugar and cinammon for a very naughty treat. You can also make (in my opinion) a much nicer version of tiramisu with ricotta (mixed with sugar and cinammon) layered between sponge fingers that are soaked in a mix of strong coffee and liqueur. That's how my mum used to do and I made it last weekend …just delish. Thanks for this and great to discover your blog!
Concetta…all I have to say is, WOW! Definitely giving that a try.
Nice! I'm on the lookout for a lower fat recipe, perhaps without heavy cream, argh. I do like ricotta mixed with a little agave and vanilla, then spread over a graham cracker. Oh my, like frosting!
Let me know if you find a low-fat one that works…and yes, just like frosting!
As it's cooking, do you stir the milk so it won't burn?
Koni,if you use a heavy enough pot you'll only have to stir it once or twice and it will be fine. If your pot is not heavy, I'd stir it once a minute or so, just in case.
one fell swoop: It's an idiom used by Shakespeare in Macbeth. A predator comes falling from the sky and makes damage in a sudden swift motion.
I think it might have to do with felling trees with one swoop of the axe.
Amazing!
Paula! You have solved one of life's great phraseology mysteries for me – thank you!
The word “fell” usually refers to a killing strike or blow.
Hmm. Maybe not the best word to associate with making ricotta then?
ohhhh I am off to the supermarket to buy some buttermilk. But I am going to try both ways.. using buttermilk and the alternative of milk and vinegar. As buttermilk is not a common ingredient in Australian cooking so it tends to be very expensive. I will let you know how they both turn out. Thank you for sharing.
Just to let you know another tip. My Mother always used lemon juice instead of vineager to make the butter milk. I add a tablespoon or two to the milk in my measuring cup and let it sit for about five minutes.
I’ve heard that a lot – one day I definitely need to try it.
Saw this on Pinterest and had to give it a try. Turned out great. Thanks so much for sharing.
My pleasure! I make it at least once or twice a month now…and now I'm working on making my own butter. (I know..crazy!!)
Making butter is about as easy as it gets. Just take heavy cream and a pinch of salt in a mixer and whip it. One it gets past whipped cream, the butterfat will separate out from the liquid. Strain it a little to push the extra liquid out and you have some lovely butter. You can also just put the heavy cream in a jar and shake it for a looong time.
Yogurt is similar to making the ricotta, in that you have to heat the milk to 185, but the rest of the process takes longer. Put milk in the top of a double boiler (or in my case, since I go through A LOT of yogurt, in a stockpot that nests inside of another stockpot filled with water. Heat it until the milk gets to 185-190 degrees. Let it cool to 105-115 degrees. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of plain yougurt. Place the milk mixture on a heating pad on low overnight, covered with a towel to keep away drafts. Let it sit for at least 6-8 hours (I leave mine overnight) and then you’ll have yogurt! I like to strain mine when its done, so I have a greek style yogurt. A gallon of milk will make 2 quarts or so of Greek style yogurt. Have fun!
Betty, thank you for all this fabulous info! I’m working on perfecting my butter…hopefully soon it will be good enough for me to post.
Oh gorgeous!!! it’ s amazing.. i can’ y believe it…. now i MUST try to make ricotta at home!!
:O)
big hug,
Serena
Big hug back and yes! You must!!
I can’t wait to try this!
It’s an amazing thing to step back and realize…I made my own ricotta!
That looks like so much fun and so taaaasty >< Great post! I love the dramatic picture =)
Thanks! And while it looks dramatic, in real life it is SO easy! (Isn’t that the best??)
Thank you ever so much for this recipe, I am an Italian American second generation on my Dad’s side and third generation on my Mom’s. I love love love Ricotta and use it in so many recipes handed down to me from both of my Nona’s,and now thanks to you I can make my own, who knew it was so simple. Than you, Thank you Thank you!
You are so welcome! I’m sure you will love it. Aren’t recipes from grandmothers precious? My favorite is my grandma’s molasses cookies.
Alright…I must know. Where have you been all of my life? You’re so cute and fun and you make your own cheese! I just know that we were meant to be besties!
I’m totally making my own ricotta this week for some lasagna. Can’t wait!
I’ve been right here waiting for you to stop by! Happy weekend ricotta!
I was just wondering ..i make my riccota w/ lemons instead of butter milk.is it about the same ..i think i would like it better w/ the butter milk.might make it a little richer.yes??/
I’ve never made ricotta with lemons so I can’t say for sure — I do know that this version with the buttermilk and creamy is very rich and smooth. Hope you like it!
Just made it today ! Thank You for this recipe, it’s so good .. and easy ! I think I’ll never buy ricotta anymore !
I’m so glad you like it! And I said the exact same thing the first time I made it…no more store-bought ricotta for me!
Oh! I remember this picture… I’ve already favorited it on Foodgawker! I’M SO DOING THIS ASAP! I’ll report back later! lol. Your photos are just so pretty!!
Thank you!!
and definitely report back!
I definitely want to try this! The Chicken Tikka Masala recipe sounds wonderful too
Hurray! Try it, and you’ll never go back to the store-made kind! (And the tikka masala is one of my faves,)
Yummm! Ricotta! Perfect for all those Italian dishes we love! We can’t wait to test this out! We appreciate you linking up to our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday.” We love seeing all of the great recipes and fun ideas! Hope to see you again next week! -The Sisters
Thanks – love your Saturday links!!
Thanks for this recipe! I was instantly inspired to try it and the ricotta is super delicious and amazingly easy. Never gonna buy ricotta again! I used mine in a recipe I came up with recently, my own vegetable lasagna. Post is here: http://herbanfarmer.blogspot.com/2012/05/glorious-feast-garden-harvest-lasagna.html — I have links in there that send people to this post.
Thanks Deb – so glad you liked it! I’m never buying ricotta again either.
The directions as you have given make a perfect and perfectly delicious ricotta. I have made it today in preparation for making your summer lasagna tomorrow. It has lifted the anticipation for gorgeous summer tomatoes and basil to new heights. Thanks for sharing it with us.
My pleasure! And that summer lasagna is my favorite, favorite use for the fresh ricotta. Enjoy!
For sure I am going to make ricotta at home following your method instead buying from supermarkets. Thanks.
I’m so glad – I’m sure you will LOVE it!
i made this but it didn’t turn out ok….i heated the milk until 185 and it did not curdle so i left it a bit longer then it boiled over rhe cheese was rubbery and tastless and dry
i will try it again and this time i will not boil it….i hope it works
Hi sunshine – you definitely do need to bring it to a boil…if it boiled over, it sounds like it might work better in a bigger pot. Did you use whole milk? If not, that might have something to do with it too. I’m so glad you are going to give it another try!
Hi:
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe. I used some milk my friend gave me from her goats, it was AMAZING. My daughter and I could not stop eating it. I plan on making more and using it over lasagna. I never thought making cheese could be so easy! Thank you very much!
Betty
You know, I’ve been meaning and meaning to make this with goats milk as a variation – thanks for the reminder!
And yes, isn’t it the best??
Made the ricotta this afternoon it is so yummy!! I have a calzone in the oven right now can’t wait to dig into it!!
Thanks for the great info
Isn’t it the best? And calzone…YUM.
Woooow!!Thank you soo much for this post! I stood by my sink in amazement when I tasted it. I couldn’t believe I’ve bought this stuff from a store! It doesn’t even taste the same! I also felt proud that I had made it myself.
I will be experimenting for a low fat version because I think I will eat this all by myslef if I’m not careful!
Isn’t it the absolute best feeling??? Happy ricotta.
Sounds like home-made yogurt. I’ve seen once but your method seems easier.
That makes it worth to give a try!
Thanks, Kate.
Your scramble egg is exactly what I did yesterday. Yummy!
You’re so welcome! Wait til you see how easy it is – enjoy!
How much does this process cost? In comparision to buying from the store? (I haven’t boughten any before)
It’s a little more expensive than the mass-produced kind, but definitely cheaper than the fresh ricotta you buy at the cheese counter. And it tastes SO much better!!
This is so awesome! I am making lasagna for Thanksgiving and this comes right on time. Thanks! Will definitely make this.
Lasagna for Thanksgiving, I love it! Happy ricotta.
I’ve made this twice now and it is sooo delicious..I mixed it with some buttered penne and a little basil and had the most amazing mac and cheese ever!
OMG! I think you just started a whole new recipe idea in my head! What a lovely delicate mac and cheese that must have been….
Yes, ridiculously easy and incredibly tasty…I totally just want to eat it with a fork, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way about ricotta before…so if I want to make a bigger batch..you know, enough for lasagna and such, keep the ratios the same?
Yes, definitely – I’ve done that in the past. Just make sure you are using a good-sized pot so it doesn’t boil over. (And I’ve been there, fork-wise.
)
I used to make ricotta when I worked in a restaurant. we used maybe just under 1/4 cup of vinegar in addition…. it helps increase the yield and speeds up the curds forming. Also, if you can find animal or veggie renet, a few drops will do a whole world of good!
Will have to try these tips – thanks!
What do you do with the leftover liquid?
You can substitute it for the regular liquid you use to make pancakes – it’s amazing!
What a fabulous recipe. I love it!! I have added it to my Mouth Watering Mondays. Come on over to see it at http://www.noshingwiththenolands.com Cheers, Tara
Thanks Tara – I will definitely pay your site a visit!
Amazing! I never knew it was THIS easy to make ricotta…. Running out now for the milk..
I know, right?? It’s hard to go back to store-bought…not that you have to any more!
I am so thankful someone pinned this! My family LOVES, LOVES, LOVES lasagna but I can’t afford to make it all the time so this will definitely help defer the cost! Now, you don’t happen to have an easy recipe to make your own mozzarella? Thanks!
So funny you should ask that! I’ve been experimenting with mozzarella but it is MUCH more complicated. That being said, when it works (and I have had some triumphs and some disasters) it is scrumptious. So far I have been following this recipe from The Kitchn = it’s worked the best for me. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-mozzarella-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-174355
I’m doing the Low Carb Way Of Eating and wonder what the carb count is for this version.
Hi Lee – I’m not familiar with that program so I’m sorry I can’t tell you – maybe one of my readers knows and will tell us?
Also, don’t waste the whey!!! You can use that to cook with. I make my own bread and use that instead of water…. gives a really nice flavor to the bread.
Totally going to try this recipe! Much easier than the others I have found. Thanks!!
You are so welcome! And the whey is also great in pancakes, I have found.
I made this tonight for our Baked Ziti. It tasted so much better than the store bought stuff thanks for sharing the recipe!
You are so welcome – isn’t it the best??
Hi, I just found your blog through Pinterest and am super excited to try this Ricotta! I live in an area where the only ricotta is the mass produced kind at the market. It doesn’t make great cannolli filling. I’m hoping this works well for that! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you found me! I’ve never made cannoli filling so I am eager to hear how yours turns out with this ricotta!
An aussie explanation of one fell swoop. In Aus. it is one fowl swoop, a reference to how a chook, i.e.fowl pounces on its prey. FYI. Cheers.
Love it – thanks Steve!
Meant to add to “pounces on its prey” ; and consumes in one action… Sort of in one go or one hit. Seems like the same way you love your ricotta.. Dont blame you here, I am a recent convert to it. For health reasons. Cheers again..
This sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe.. Think I may have to put it to use tomorrow
I hope you do – happy ricotta-making!
i was wondering if powdered buttermilk would work as well as fresh buttermilk? thanks!
I’ve never tried it that way so I’m not sure – any readers out there, do you know the answer?
Hi everyone,
I make this all the time, but I make it with lactose free milk and do not add any cream or buttermilk. I just add some lemon juice or vinegar till the milk curdles and strain it, et viola!!
Thanks for the alternate version, Altoosa – so many variations on this great recipe!
You are hilarious. Thank you, I’m trying this and I’m also going to stalk you site for more hilarious posts about recipes under 30 minutes (a mantra I full-heartedly agree with).
Also, I googled “fell swoop”: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/at-one-fell-swoop.html
“Shakespeare either coined the phrase, or gave it circulation, in Macbeth, 1605:
MACDUFF: [on hearing that his family and servants have all been killed]
All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
The kite referred to is a hunting bird, like the Red Kite, which was common in England in Tudor times and is now making a welcome return after near extinction in the 20th century. The swoop (or stoop as is sometimes now said) is the rapid descent made by the bird when capturing prey.
Shakespeare used the imagery of a hunting bird’s ‘fell swoop’ to indicate the ruthless and deadly attack by Macbeth’s agents.
In the intervening years we have rather lost the original meaning and use it now to convey suddenness rather than savagery.”
I love etymology and the origin of words and phrases. That reminds me of an awesome site: http://www.mysteriesofvernacular.com/#
Amazing.
Ok, I think I’m done writing… thank you again.
Wow! I am so glad you found me, not only for your sweet words but also for the great info and I am DEFINITELY checking out the vernacular site!
oh well done everyone, except that no one has actually made ricotta.
etymologically speaking ‘ricotta’ means re-cooked, and with good reason. When you make cheese, you curdle the casein. This is then recovered and either consumed fresh, cured in salt, or heated again to make stingy cheese. And that’s the crux: casein makes cheese, which is precisely what everyone has done here.
after you strain the casein, you’re left with the whey. this fraction still contains some protein, more specifically albumin and globulin. These can be recovered by re-heating (or re-cooking) the whey. At elevated temperatures the albumin and globulin are denatured and flocculate. Recover this protein fraction and strain it.
NOW you’ve made Ricotta. The other thing you made was just cheese.
Well, whatever it is, it tastes good!
Thanks for all this info.
Love homemade ricotta! Or mystery CHEESE, as the last poster pointed out. It looks like ricotta to me, so that is what I am going to call it. I do mine just a bit differently; heat a gallon of whole milk and 2 cups of heavy cream to just 185 degrees then stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. This rests on the counter for 2 hours, covered with a dish towel, and then I drain it into the cheesecloth. Delicious and makes about 2 pounds, give or take, of creamy cheese. Much cheaper than a 15 oz container of brand name ricotta at our grocery store. No fresh stuff available for sale in these parts, so the homemade is a fabulous option. Keep up the good work, Kate!
A correction to the amount of vinegar; should be 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons vinegar and not the 1/2. Sorry, the memory just ain’t what it used to be!
Thanks Theresa! And I’m definitely going to try your version – always good to have another excuse to make whatever this is called!
Made this today and guess it was a bit lower in fat because I only had 1% milk. I used 3 cups of that, 1 cup low fat buttermilk, and increased heavy cream to one cup. I had to boil for a long time, but eventually it began to thicken. I judged when to stop by how well it stuck to sides of pot and wooden spoon. It was not lumpy, but more like a thin cream of wheat consistency. I added salt to taste, then in a cheesecloth lined strainer over a pot, I poured it and stirred gently with rubber spatula occasionally while getting other ingredients ready for white pizza. It turned out wonderfully creamy and absolutely delicious! Better in taste and consistency than any I have bought in a store! I spread some on pizza crust, then added other good stuff, and it was the best!!!! Thanks so much for this recipe. I will definitely try with whole milk, but really loved this version also!
Thanks LB – I’ve never made it with 1% milk so I appreciate you testing it out for us!
Thank you for this awesome, easy recipe! I made it from fresh, raw milk so I didn’t add any cream, it was amazing and I made veggie lasagne with my first batch. I make my own quark cheese and yogurt as well and I use the whey for smoothies.
You are so welcome – I’ve never made it with raw milk but I am dying to try it that way!
Don’t throw away the whey- save it and use it when you’re making soup. It’s full of vitamins.
I’ve never thought of using it in soup – will try!
This looks fantastic! LOVE LOVE LOVE Ricotta. I was wondering what the best way to store this would be, and how long it keeps?
Well, the only thing about fresh ricotta is that it really wants to be used right away.
If you need to hold it for a few hours, just pop it in the fridge and when it comes time to use it, stir a little bit of warm milk into it to loosen it up a bit.
hi,
Absolutely fantastic post.
Will surely prepare Ricotta like this.
Regards,
Raksha
I’m so glad – I’m sure you will love it!